Cully

"Cully" by Jack Egan is a science fiction novella published in the early 1960s. Set in a speculative future, the narrative follows the titular character, Cully, as he navigates a surreal and dangerous world where he grapples with his identity and the disturbing nature of his circumstances. The story explores themes of loss, sacrifice, and the human condition through the lens of science fiction, presenting a thought-provoking exploration of telepathy and the psychological trauma of colonization. In the story, Cully awakens underwater in a yellow suit, disoriented and injured, with fragmented memories and a deep sense of longing. As he struggles against the overwhelming sensation of an emptiness that haunts him, he is driven by a mysterious call that leads him to a garden of extraordinary plants. However, he is manipulated by external forces, forcing him to activate a device that results in the demise of these beautiful entities. Ultimately, he reaches a spacecraft only to learn that he has undergone a traumatic lobotomy to strip him of his former self, allowing him to accomplish a dangerous mission against hostile telepaths. Cully's journey reflects the haunting experience of losing one's identity for the greater good, leaving a lingering emptiness that he can never escape.